1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optic fiber decorative devices and, particularly, to such a device in which a spray of optic fibers is detachably mounted on a light housing to provide, for example, a form of table lamp.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optic fibers are well known in the decorative arts for transmitting light over flexible paths. Such fibers may be made of coated glass, but for decorative devices are more commonly constructed from finely drawn, thermoplastic, organic polymer materials. In the latter instance, a core of a first thermoplastic is jacketed with a second thermoplastic having an index of refraction less than the first. Examples of such suitable materials and methods for producing the optic fibers therefrom are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,472,921 and 3,742,107.
When the optic fibers are formed from thermoplastic materials, the light-receiving ends of the fibers must be protected from the transmission of excessive heat from the light source to prevent softening of the optic fiber material. This problem is experienced when a bunch of optic fibers are used in a lamp-type decorative product, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,431,410; 3,532,874 and 3,766,374.